Banjo attachment



(No Model.)

W. KUMPF.

BANJO ATTACHMENT.

N0. 600,918. Patented Mar.22, 1898.

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WILLIAM KUMPF, OF GREAT FALLS, MONTANA.

BANJO ATTACH iVI ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,918, dated March 22, 1898.

Application filed June 14, 1897.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LWILLIAM KUMPF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Great Falls, in the county of Cascade and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Banjo Attachments; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in attachments for musical instruments, and especially to devices adapted for use in connection with banjos, whereby it will be possible to utilize a broken string,which, with the ordinary construction of tailpieces on banjos,would render the string worthless.

From much experience in playing banjos I have found that the bass string on the instrument is apt to break at the upper end of the finger-board where it passes over the last fret, and in order to utilize the broken string I propose to construct an attachment consisting of a metallic strip having a series of notches disposed along one of its longitudinal edges,which strip is designed to be attached to one of the brackets about the rim of the banjo and at right angles to the tailpiece and in the notches of which strip the knotted end of the bass string may engage as it is shortened slightly each time of its being broken.

To these ends and to such others as the invention may pertain the same consists, further, in the novel construction, combination, and adaptation of the parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

My invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which drawings similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a banjo with my improved attachment secured thereto. Fig.

2 is a central vertical sectional View through a banjo with my invention attached thereto. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the attachment removed from the instrument. 7

, Reference now being had to the details of Serial No. 640,700. (No model.)

the drawings by letter, A designates the head of the banjo, of ordinary construction, and B a tailpiece secured to the rim of the instrument and to which it is proposed to secure all of the strings by means of knots engaging in slots in the tailpiece, excepting the bass string,which it is my purpose to pass through the slot provided therefor in the tailpiece and to extend the same back over the edge of the tailpiece and thence downward,where its end will first be held in a notch c at the lower end of the improved attachment 0. This attachment has a series of notches 0 along its outer edge, in which the knotted end of the bass string may be caught as the string breaks from time to time and becomes shorter. Integral with the said strip near one end of the same is the right-angled extension D, which is apertured, as at D, this extension being provided to afford means for securing the at tachment to the instrument,which is done by first removing one of the brackets at the-rear end of the banjo opposite the bass string, and then screwing on the nut, attaching the de vice at right angles to the tailpiece of the instrument, as plainly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An attachment for banjos consisting of a notched strip held at right angles to the tailpiece thereon and on the periphery of the head of the instrument, and designed to hold the knotted end of one of the strings of the banjo.

2. An attachment for banjos or other instruments, comprising a notched strip having an extension designed to be secured to one of the brackets about the head of the instrument, the said notches provided to receive the knotted end of a string, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with a bracket on the head of a banjo, the metallic strip O notched at its lower end and along one of its longitudinal edges, a right-angled extension D apertured to fit over said bracket, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IVILLIAM KUMPF.

Witnesses:

J. W. WHITNEY, O. W. Mnvrznn.

ICC 

